Two die in unrelated crashes in Broward

Two people died in separate Broward traffic accidents on Saturday morning, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

Shortly after 4 a.m., Andre Caesar, 41, crashed a 2012 Velocity motor scooter into the driver’s side of a tow truck backed into a driveway at 3370 NW 39th St. in Lauderdale Lakes. The tow truck, which was unloading a vehicle at a residence, had its headlights and taillights on, BSO detectives said.

Caesar, of Fort Lauderdale, was not wearing a helmet. He was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he died at around 5 a.m.

In an unrelated incident shortly after 6 a.m., Tiago Rodriguez, 28, apparently lost control of a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck he was driving and crashed into a concrete utility pole. He had been heading eastbound on McNab Road and trying to exit on the off ramp to Southwest 17th Street in North Lauderdale. Detectives do not know why Rodriguez lost control of the truck.

Rodriguez, of Margate, was also taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he died at about 7:15 a.m.

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Manitoba Tories to oust youth president over social media comments

WINNIPEG – An official with Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative party is being ousted over social media comments about aboriginals.

Brayden Mazurkiewich, the president of the party’s youth wing, is being asked to resign over a post on his Facebook page today.

The post concerns a planned urban reserve on a former Winnipeg military base, and says the land was designed for — quote — “hard-working men and women of the military, not free-loading Indian.”

Party president Ryan Matthews says the comments are unacceptable.

Matthews says if Mazurkiewich doesn’t quit voluntarily, the party’s management committee will convene next week to deal with the matter.

Mazurkiewich was not immediately available for comment.

Social Media News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Riveting Details Emerge from CT School Rampage

As morning turned to afternoon on Friday, further details continued to emerge from Newtown, CT, a tight-knit community shaken by a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School that took the lives of innocent students and teachers, in addition to the gunman, reportedly identified as Adam Lanza.

RELATED: President Fights Tears as He Addresses Nation

As President Barack Obama touched on in his tear-jerking press conference, this is not the first time the nation has witnessed a tragedy of this kind. The recent mass shooting at an Aurora, CO movie theater is just one instance of such violence. Columbine High School and Virginia Tech also resonate as prime examples.

Hollywood's biggest stars were quick to react to the news on Twitter and made an outcry for stricter gun control regulations.

Watch the video for ET's complete coverage of today's biggest headline.

RELATED: Celebs Tweet Reactions to CT School Shooting

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Connecticut victims ID'd as police uncover 'very good evidence' of shooter's motives

The unhinged gunman who slaughtered 26 children and adults yesterday in a elementary school arrived with guns blazing — blasting his way into the building, according to Connecticut State police.

“He was not voluntarily let into the school at all,” Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance said at a Saturday morning press conference outside Sandy Hook Elementary School, where Adam Lanza unleashed one of the worst massacres in US history before committing suicide.

“He forced his way into the school.”

THE POST'S COVERAGE OF THE CONNECTICUT MASSACRE

NEWTOWN GUNMAN'S MOM TOOK HIM TO SHOOTING RANGES

AFP/Getty Images

Distraught relatives leave a Newtown fire station after hearing news of their loved ones from officials yesterday.

PHOTOS: SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING

RAW SOUNDS OF NEWTOWN TRAGEDY

Vance said investigators at the school, as well as a secondary crime scene — the home of Lanza’s mother, Nancy, who was also found dead — have uncovered “very good evidence,” that will be able to “paint the how, and more importantly, the why.”

But the investigation won’t be completed for up to two days or longer, Vance cautioned.

“We have done everything we need to do to peel back the onion,” Vance said at the press conference, which was delayed over two hours.

Lanza — a string bean-thin goth kid described by friends as a “genius” — first shot his mother then drove to the school in her car with at least three of her guns: a Glock and a SIG Sauer, and a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle. And the gunman had access to even more guns than the trio found at the school — cops recovered a .45-caliber Henry repeating rifle, a .22-caliber Marlin rifle, and a .30-caliber Enfield rifle, a law enforcement source told CNN.

After shooting his way into the building, Lanza, dressed in black and wearing a bullet-proof vest — opened fire in two classrooms at around 9:30 am.

A hero custodian ran through the hallways sounding the alarm, and teachers quickly scrambled to protect their young charges, locking classroom doors as they waited for sick sound of gunfire to stop.

The school’s beloved principal, Dawn Hochsprung — who started the morning with cheery messages on Twitter — was among the dead.

On Thursday, Lanza was involved with an “altercation” with four school staffers, according to NBC.

Only one of those staffers — a teacher shot in the foot — survived yesterday's carnage.

Vance described that teacher as “instrumental” to the investigation.

As soon as investigators are done combing through every “crack and crevice” inside and outside the building, officials would release a list of all the names of the victims — 20 of whom are children, Vance said. He did say that all of the victims had been identified.

Vance added that a trooper or an officer has been assigned to parents to help “maintain their solitude.”

Vance refused to name Lanza, 20, and said the shooter’s name would be released at the same time as the victims.

The senseless killings touched families across the region and the globe.

“The members of the NYC Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association join the nation and the world in sending our thoughts and prayers to all of those who lost a loved one in the senseless shooting at the Sandy Hook school, especially to our colleague Lt. James Giblin, whose nephew was lost to this tragedy,” said PBA president Patrick J. Lynch said.

“We will also keep the first responders, the police, EMS and everyone whose difficult job causes them to deal with the aftermath of this tragedy in our thoughts and we stand ready to offer any assistance we can give to help them get through this horrific event. We pray that we will never see another tragedy like this again.”

A crisis intervention team from Yale University is being set up to help stunned residents of bucolic Newtown — a close-knit community of about 27,000 that’s 60 miles northeast of New York City — cope with the tragedy.

With Post Wire Services

gbuiso@nypost.com

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Miami in spotlight at AVCC, other entrepreneurship events

Entrepreneurs from around the world took the stage during this packed week of entrepreneurship events in Miami: Florida International University’s Americas Venture Capital Conference (known as AVCC), HackDay, Wayra’s Global DemoDay and Endeavor’s International Selection Panel.

The events, all part of the first Innovate MIA week, also put the spotlight on Miami as it continues to try to develop into a technology hub for the Americas.

“While I like art, I absolutely love what is happening today... The time has come to become a tech hub in Miami,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, who kicked off the venture capital conference on Thursday. He told the audience of 450 investors and entrepreneurs about the county’s $1 million investment in the Launch Pad Tech Accelerator in downtown Miami.

“I have no doubt that this gathering today will produce new ideas and new business ventures that will put our community on a fast track to becoming a center for innovative, tech-driven entrepreneurship,” Gimenez said.

Brad Feld, an early-stage investor and a founder of TechStars, cautioned that won’t happen overnight. Building a startup community can take five, 10, even 15 years, and those leading the effort, who should be entrepreneurs themselves, need to take the long-term view, he told the audience via video. “You can create very powerful entrepreneurial ecosystems in any city... I’ve spent some time in Miami, I think you are off to a great start.”

Throughout the two-day AVCC at the JW Brickell Marriott, as well as the Endeavor and Wayra events, entrepreneurs from around the world pitched their companies, hoping to persuade investors to part with some of their green.

And in some cases, the entrepreneurs could win money, too. During the venture capital conference, 29 companies —including eight from South Florida such as itMD, which connects doctors, patients and imaging facilities to facilitate easy access of records — competed for more than $50,000 in cash and prizes through short “elevator’’ pitches. Each took questions from the judges, then demoed their products or services in the conference “Hot Zone,” a room adjoining the ballroom. Some companies like oLyfe, a platform to organize what people share online, are hoping to raise funds for expansion into Latin America. Others like Ideame, a trilingual crowdfunding platform, were laser focused on pan-Latin American opportunities.

Winning the grand prize of $15,000 in cash and art was Trapezoid Digital Security of Miami, which provides hardware-based security solutions for enterprise and cloud environments. Fotopigeon of Tampa, a photo-sharing and printing service targeting the military and prison niches, scored two prizes.

The conference offered opportunities to hear formal presentations on current trends — among them the surge of start-ups in Brazil; the importance of mobile apps and overheated company valuations — and informal opportunities to connect with fellow entrepreneurs.

Speakers included Gaston Legorburu of SapientNitro, Albert Santalo of CareCloud and Juan Diego Calle of .Co Internet, all South Florida entrepreneurs. Jerry Haar, executive director of FIU’s Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center, which produced the conference with a host of sponsors, said the organizers worked hard to make the conference relevant to both the local and Latin American audience, with panels on funding and recruiting for startups, for instance.

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Alper seniors never too old to dance

Not everyone can do the high kicks, twists and ballroom dancing routines like they used to, but the seniors at the Alper Jewish Community Center in Kendall sure give it a whirl. Every Tuesday about 30 gather, some with caregivers, to move to the music.

“It’s like the high school prom all over again,” said regular class participant Maison Steinberg, 79, who said he was a dance instructor “for years.”

Jeanne Sands, 94, said she’s been involved in the class for the last nine to 10 months. She was once a ballerina on the London stage. “It’s good to dance,” Sands said.

Director of Adult Programming Ilene Primack likes to see the seniors moving. “This gets them out of their houses,” she said.

The students, many in their 90s, are led by their encouraging and energetic instructor, Rocio Ruiz Paris. She said she tries to make it very special for the seniors who participate. And even the ones who can only wave their arms or clap to the music are all smiles when Ruiz Paris helps them get involved.

“I never met my grandparents so this is like my family,” she said. One of her regular dancers is retired South Miami veterinarian Eli Gersten. He said he loves going to dance, and his wife, Gloria, sometimes goes to watch.

The Tuesday gathering usually starts at 10 a.m. with cards, games and snacks. Seated exercises start at 12:30 p.m. and the dancing begins at 1 p.m. Pedro Paulo Carvalho is a musician who often plays guitar and electric keyboard for the class. He sings in English and Spanish. And when he plays the calypso classic “Jump In The Line,” also known as “Shake Senora,” everyone is moving, a lot or a little.

“This is the most unique class I’ve ever been to in my life,” Gloria Gersten said of the entertainment. “I just want to share it.”

Dancing is one part of the program designed for seniors and classes are open to anyone who wants to join. For more information on how to get involved, or to help a loved one, contact Primack at iprimack@alplerjcc.org or call 305-271-9000 ext. 264. Classes are held at the Dave and Mary Alper JCC, 11155 SW 112 Ave.

SECRET SANTA

For the fourth year in a row, Miamian Glenn Hernandez will collect toys to deliver on Christmas Eve to deserving children in South Florida who might not otherwise celebrate with presents.

Hernandez’s small local Secret Santa Project brings together old friends and new each year for this worthy cause. It started as a simple Craigslist post in 2009 and now with just one week to go before Christmas volunteers are needed to wrap gifts and help with deliveries.

“We find that this project really gives us new meaning for the holidays every single year,” Hernandez said in an email.

To find out more and to get involved with helping, when you’re done shopping, call or text Hernandez at 786-447-6476.

STAR PARTY

Bring friends and family out to a Winter Solstice Star Party, 5-9 p.m., Dec. 20, at the Southwest Pavilion, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, at the southern end of Key Biscayne. Hosted by the Southern Cross Astros, the night sky-watching event will focus high tech equipment on bright Jupiter and its four closest satellite moons, Orion the Hunter, the Andromeda Galaxy, star clusters and more. You can also enjoy the magnificent sunset view with boats and birds, and the Miami and Coconut Grove skylines across Biscayne Bay.

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Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 might not launch until 2014

Nintendo (NTDOY) says its kickstarted the next generation of video game consoles with the Wii U. But considering its graphics and processing power are comparable to Microsoft’s (MSFT) Xbox 360 and Sony’s (SNE) PlayStation 3, hardcore gamers are holding out for the next Xbox, tentatively dubbed “Xbox 720,” and next-generation PlayStation, tentatively called PS4. Rumors insist Microsoft and Sony will both launch their next consoles in the fall of 2013, but SemiAccurate, the website that first reported the next Xbox could see a delay, says there is a bit of confusion over how the consoles are progressing and when they’ll arrive.

According to SemiAccurate, the next Xbox is currently code-named “Kryptos” and not “Durango” anymore, and the next PlayStation is now code-named “Thebes” rather than “Orbis.” The PS4 will reportedly have a 28-nanometer AMD chipset and will be produced by IBM or Global Foundries.

SemiAccurate says the PS4 could be released in spring of 2014 or fall 2014 and the Xbox 720 could still see the delay from fall 2013 to 2014.

Xbox World claimed last month that the next Xbox will have a Blu-ray disc drive, Kinect 2.0, directional audio, TV output and input, an “innovative controller” and support for augmented reality glasses – all packaged in a magnesium alloy shell that will supposedly use the same patented “VaporMg” process found on the Surface tablet.

Not only that, but Microsoft is also working on an “Xbox Lite,” according to reports from earlier this year.

As for PS4 details, VG247 reported in November that Sony has already sent out various developer kits with specs including 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Sony and Microsoft are expected to reveal their next consoles at E3 2013 this coming June.

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Gaming News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Celebs Tweet Reactions to CT School Shooting

There was breaking news this morning out of Newtown, Connecticut when at least one gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. CBS News is reporting that a minimum of 27 people were killed in this massacre, including an estimated 18 young children.

A state police spokesperson just held a press conference to assure concerned citizens that "the scene is secure" and "the shooter is deceased inside the building." President Obama has been briefed on the horrific situation and offered his condolences to the victims and community. Three additional victims are being treated at Danbury Hospital. The hospital released a statement reading, "Our hearts and prayers are extended to everyone involved in this terrible tragedy."

As word spread about the tragedy, Twitter exploded with reactions from celebrities, many of them parents themselves.

Alyssa Milano: What the f*** is wrong with people?

Hilary Duff: Oh my.I am shocked.Heartbroken.Devastating news about this elementary school shooting. What is wrong w/ people?Praying hard 4 these family's

Mandy Moore: Absolutely devastating news this morning. There are no words.Thoughts, prayers and love to all in #Newtown.

Lisa Ling: Why are we still not seriously talking about gun control? Bless the families of those lost in Conn. My God.

Mia Farrow: #PrayForNewtown. Gun control is no longer debatable- it's not a 'conversation'- It's a moral mandate. '

Maria Shriver: My heart is breaking as this story unfolds. Let's start a #circleofprayer for the children and their families. Just yesterday, I wrote about the joy of becoming a mother. Right now so many mothers and fathers are in indescribable pain. Please say a prayer for the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown...

Russell Simmons: prayers for the children, families and faculty of Sandy Hook Elementary School and the people of Newtown. my heart is broken.

Courteney Cox: Praying for Sandy Hook

Ali Fedotowsky: The shooting at Sandy Hook elementary is so heartbreaking. Children? It just doesn't make any sense. My heart goes out to the families.

Steve Carell: Pray for Sandy Hook, Newtown CT.

Bethenny Frankel: Oh my goodness. There has been a shooting at a school. I had no idea. This is so tragic. Poor babies!

Maksim Chmerkovskiy: University, high school, movie theater, and now ELEMENTARY school?!? What's next Kindergarten? WTF is wrong with people?!? I hate the "my heart is with" this and "my prayers go out" that... We ALL need to get fucking angry and DO something more than 'feel sad'....to unload a weapon on small children!!!!

Piers Morgan: I can't bear this. It's just beyond comprehension that anyone would do this in an elementary school. Those poor children. Don't just mourn these poor dead children America - get angry and do something to stop these senseless shootings happening.

Hilaria Baldwin: These shootings need to stop what do we do? I cannot help but think back to where I was when people committed these heinous acts. Why do they have to be so cruel, sick, and heartless? Guns bring nothing but pain and heartbreak. Violent video games foster rage and troubled imaginations. Why are we so enamored with violence? My thoughts and prayers are with you all in Sandy Hook. Whether you are a victim of violence, trauma or loss, I am sending my love & support

Vinny Guadagnino: Praying for the Victims in the Connecticut school shooting. This is happening too much. 18 children dead

Randy Jackson: Thoughts and prayers go out to those in Connecticut

Chris Cuomo: #Newtown kids as young as grade k may have been involved. Kids told to close eyes while running out. Pray for the families. #Newton story not abt the #'s. The magnitude is so great because so many kids involved. Killing kids is the worst result of violence.

Sophia Bush: My heart aches for Connecticut ....

Chad Johnson: Just seeing my news feed on the Connecticut shooting, what is going on, prayers to the families and students involved.

Kyle Richards: Omg. Just hearing about the school shooting. In shock. So incredibly sad.

Gilles Marini: Enough f***ing violence. Enough. How could a man killed anyone? Even more a child. I'm crushed! #Connecticut elementary school

Jenna Ushkowitz: My heart goes out to all the Families and children affected by the CT shooting. When will the violence end?

Kevin Spacey: Just heard about the shooting in Connecticut. My thoughts go out to all who are dealing with this sad news.

Adrienne Maloof: Terrible terrible news about the shooting in Connecticut. Sending thoughts and prayers to everyone involved....

Kristin Cavallari: The fact that there was a shooting at an ELEMENTARY school makes me sick. My thoughts go out to all the families

Martina Navratilova: There is no proper time to talk gun control except now!

Holly Robinson Peete: I'm following #SandyHookElementary shooting reports like it's MY child's school #parentsworstnightmare…

Lisa Rinna: Horrible news I just heard about the shooting in CT at an elementary school how can we stop this violence?!

Sherri Shepherd: ABC is reporting the shooter was 24 armed w 4 weapons wearing a bullet proof vest.this makes no sense. @ an elementary school? #Sandyhook

Michael Urie: GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION NOW. #enough

Albie Manzo: Absolutely heartbreaking story coming out of CT, I will never understand how someone could do such a horrible thing.

Teresa Giudice: On days like this, we should hug our children just a little bit tighter.

Marlee Matlin: #PrayForNewtown Pray for the children teachers and families. Pray for some sense out of this madness. I am numb as the numbers of the dead - children and adults - keep ticking up. #PrayForNewtown

Christina Applegate: There are just no words. Only sorrow. We are all shedding tears today for those families.

Karina Smirnoff: We need to pray for all the families affected by the Newtown, CT school shooting. Absolutely devastating....

Hoda Kotb: #prayfornewtown

Brandi Glanville: I can not believe this school shooting, what is wrong with people!!!! My heart is breakking for the kids and families.

Ashley Hebert: My heart is broken for these children/families in Newton. This is unimaginable.

Caroline Manzo: school shooting in Connecticut is heartbreaking - poor little babies - may God be with them all

Kristin Chenoweth: Well im hearing about this shooting in CT. Praying. Sending prayers.

DJ Pauly D: My Prayers Go Out To Everyone Affected By This Horrible Shooting In Connecticut

Melissa Joan Hart: How could someone be so evil as to kill innocent children at school? God Bless and watch over those families and children that witnessed it!

KhloéKardashianOdom: To harm children who are defenseless is truly disgusting. I'm in disbelief. #PrayforNewtown my heart truly goes out to EVERYONE affected

Julie Benz: Please pray for the families and victims of the horrible tragedy in CT.

Lisa Gastineau: How could ANYONE harm KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN!! Beyond insane-saddest thing I've ever heard #pain #prayers

PHOTOS: Families Embrace Outside Sandy Hook Elementary School After Shooting

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History of mass shootings — Newtown among world's deadliest

A gunman at a Connecticut elementary school killed more than two dozen people, including children, on Friday. It is among the world's worst mass shootings. Here is a look at some others:

- Aug. 5, 2012: Army veteran Wade Michael Page kills five men and one woman and wounds three other people, including a police officer, before taking his own life at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin outside Milwaukee.

- July 20, 2012: Twelve people are killed when a gunman enters an Aurora, Colo., movie theater, releases a canister of gas and then opens fire during opening night of the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises." James Holmes, a 24-year-old former graduate student at the University of Colorado, has been charged in the deaths.

- March 11, 2012: Sixteen Afghan villagers, including nine children, are killed during a predawn attack in which Army prosecutors have charged Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, 39.

- July 22, 2011: Confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik kills 77 in Norway in twin attacks: a bombing in downtown Oslo and a shooting massacre at a youth camp outside the capital. The self-styled anti-Muslim militant admitted both attacks.

- Jan. 8, 2011: A gunman kills six people and wounds 13 others, including then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, in a shooting spree outside a grocery store in Tucson, Ariz. Doctors say Jared Lee Loughner, who has been charged in the deaths, suffers from schizophrenia.

- Nov. 5, 2009: Thirteen soldiers and civilians were killed and more than two dozen wounded when a gunman walked into the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood, Texas, and opened fire. Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.

- April 30, 2009: Farda Gadyrov, 29, enters the prestigious Azerbaijan State Oil Academy in the capital, Baku, armed with an automatic pistol and clips. He kills 12 people before killing himself as police close in.

- March 10, 2009: Michael McLendon, 28, killed 10 people - including his mother, four other relatives, and the wife and child of a local sheriff's deputy - across two rural Alabama counties. He then killed himself.

- Sept. 23, 2008: Matti Saari, 22, walks into a vocational college in Kauhajoki, Finland, and opens fire, killing 10 people and burning their bodies with firebombs before shooting himself fatally in the head.

- Nov. 7, 2007: After revealing plans for his attack in YouTube postings, 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen fires kills eight people at his high school in Tuusula, Finland.

- April 16, 2007: Seung-Hui Cho, 23, kills 32 people and himself on Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va.

- April 26, 2002: Robert Steinhaeuser, 19, who had been expelled from school in Erfurt, Germany, kills 13 teachers, two former classmates and policeman, before committing suicide.

- April 20, 1999: Students Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, opened fire at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding 26 others before killing themselves in the school's library.

- April 28, 1996: Martin Bryant, 29, bursts into cafeteria in seaside resort of Port Arthur in Tasmania, Australia, shooting 20 people to death. Driving away, he kills 15 others. He was captured and imprisoned.

- March 13, 1996: Thomas Hamilton, 43, kills 16 kindergarten children and their teacher in elementary school in Dunblane, Scotland, and then kills himself.

- Oct. 16, 1991: A deadly shooting rampage took place in Killeen, Texas, as George Hennard opened fire at a Luby's Cafeteria, killing 23 people before taking his own life. 20 others were wounded in the attack.

- June 18, 1990: James Edward Pough shoots people at random in a General Motors Acceptance Corp. office in Jacksonville, Fla., killing 10 and wounding four, before killing himself.

- Dec. 6, 1989: Marc Lepine, 25, bursts into Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique college, shooting at women he encounters, killing nine and then himself.

- Aug. 19, 1987: Michael Ryan, 27, kills 16 people in small market town of Hungerford, England, and then shoots himself dead after being cornered by police.

- July 12, 1976: Edward Charles Allaway, a custodian in the library of California State University, Fullerton, fatally shot seven fellow employees and wounded two others.

- Aug. 20, 1986: Pat Sherrill, 44, a postal worker who was about to be fired, shoots 14 people at a post office in Edmond, Okla. He then kills himself.

- July 18, 1984: James Oliver Huberty, an out-of-work security guard, kills 21 people in a McDonald's restaurant in San Ysidro, Calif. A police sharpshooter kills Huberty.

- Aug. 1, 1966: Charles Whitman opened fire from the clock tower at the University of Texas at Austin, killing 16 people and wounding 31.

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NBCUniversal bolsters Telemundo as US Latino market grows

Telemundo has long been like a remote Caribbean island, cut off from its sprawling media homeland.

NBCUniversal acquired the Spanish-language television network a decade ago for $2 billion but became discouraged by its seemingly limited prospects. But Comcast Corp.’s takeover of NBCUniversal last year may be building Telemundo a bridge to the mainland.

“Telemundo now has the full support of Comcast and NBCUniversal,” said Emilio Romano, a former Mexican airline chief executive who was hired a year ago to run Telemundo. “For them, Telemundo is clearly a diamond in the rough.”

The Miami-based network, which began in 1954 as a single Puerto Rico TV station, had long been viewed as an “East Coast” outlet infused with Caribbean flavor — not the right ingredients for the majority of U.S. Latinos, two-thirds of whom are from Mexico or are of Mexican descent.

Appealing to viewers with Central American heritage has become central to NBCUniversal’s campaign to grow Telemundo. But there’s a hitch: Telemundo’s rival, Univision Communications, has a lock on Mexico’s top-rated prime-time soap operas, plus contracts with top Mexican actors and the rights to some of the most popular Mexican soccer teams — making Univision the network of choice for most Mexican immigrants.

So Telemundo has had to shell out tens of millions of dollars to produce original programming to compete in the increasingly crowded field of Spanish-language television.

“They are a hungry No. 2,” said Carmen Baez, president of Latin America operations for advertising behemoth Omnicom Group. “It’s like that old Avis rental-car slogan: ‘We try harder.’ ”

Since Comcast took majority control of NBCUniversal in January 2011, it has installed new management at Telemundo and increased the operating budget. Last year Comcast agreed to spend about $600 million for the rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup soccer tournaments in 2015 through 2022 — nearly double the amount that Univision currently pays.

The company increased Telemundo’s annual programming budget nearly 20 percent and steered more resources to local Telemundo stations.

“It’s a 360-degree programming strategy built around cultural relevance,” said Lauren Zalaznick, who oversees Telemundo as NBCUniversal’s chairman of entertainment and digital networks.

For example, because many Latino families watch television together, Telemundo licensed films from Walt Disney Co.’s Pixar Animation Studios, creator of such blockbusters as Toy Story and Cars, to build a Sunday night movie block. Telemundo has slowly bolstered its daytime schedule, sending its TV judge, Ana Maria Polo — who has been dubbed the “Latino Judge Judy” — on a road trip to Los Angeles and broadcasting more news from Mexico.

The company also has paid more attention to Mun2, its bilingual youth-oriented cable channel. This week the channel was dealt a devastating blow with the unexpected death of its reality show superstar, Jenni Rivera, in a plane crash in northern Mexico.

Telemundo draws an average of 1.2 million viewers in prime time, an increase of 5 percent over 2011 and 18 percent more than in 2010, according to ratings firm Nielsen. Univision’s ratings have held steady but its second broadcast network, TeleFutura, is down 5 percent this year.

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